Tina Itkonen: come into the cold

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Chilly scenes of the everyday life of the polar Inuit of northwest Greenland give our critic a warm sense of community

TINA ITKONEN: INUGHUITMichael Hoppen Gallery

IF YOU think that you’ve been having a rough time with the cold weather, spare a thought for the polar Inuit of northwest Greenland. Their summer ends promptly in early September when the first snow falls on the mountains. The snow keeps falling and by the end of October the sun has disappeared altogether. It doesn’t rise again until the middle of February, when all the polar Inuit trudge happily to the top of the nearest icy mountain to greet it.

Spring takes its time too: in June everywhere is still snowbound and the